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This episode picks up right back where we left off. Chuck and Sarah are in his dad’s trailer, and Chuck is having a minor major freak-out. What if he’s just as crazy as he remembers? But Steve (Scott Bakula) seems happy to see him. He asks about Chuck and Ellie, which is a perfect transition to tell him about the wedding. But Steve doesn’t think coming home is a good idea, and Chuck gets angry. The whole reason he’s here is for Ellie. Steve finally agrees to come, but he doesn’t want to leave until dark. People are watching him. (Ooooookay.)

Chuck brings Steve home, and Ellie takes off to her room. Chuck follows, leaving Devon to awkwardly introduce himself to his future father-in-law. Ellie is still mad at their dad for leaving them, but Chuck says he forgives him. He’s all they have left. They rejoin Steve and Devon in the living room, where Steve is telling them all about the technology he invented (including their TV and touchscreens) that was stolen by his old partner, Ted Roark (Chuck‘s version of Steve Jobs).

Chuck flashes on his dad’s Roark flier. Beckman explains that the CIA thinks Roark’s latest software is corrupted with a virus that could do irreparable damage to the world’s computer systems. So Chuck is going undercover (as himself) as a new employee; his interview is in an hour. Chuck arrives as Roark Instruments and is interviewed by Drew, a recent college grad. Chuck puts a positive spin on his Buy More experience and lands his dream job. During his tour, Chuck meets Ted Roark (Chevy Chase), who asks if he’s ready to take over the world.

The mission is going smoothly so far, so of course, Jeffster finds a way to mess things up. Jeff and Lester, waiting outside for the big NextExpo, see Chuck shaking Drew’s hand, and they gleefully call Morgan to break the news. Unfortunately, Morgan doesn’t know that the job, however great, is just a cover, and he spills the beans during a nice family dinner. Ellie is so proud and happy for Chuck, but Steve doesn’t know how Chuck could work for Roark after his betrayal.

Chuck shows up for his first day to find a geeked-out Sarah and Casey in line for NextExpo. They’re going to get the source code for the virus, and Chuck has to keep an eye on Roark. Chuck flashes on a Fulcrum agent at the presentation. Sarah and Casey cannot let the software be released.

Back at Casa Bartowski, Steve is streaming the expo online. He wants to support Chuck on his first day. When Roark comes onstage, he tells everyone the whole world will have free access to RIOS, his new operating system that will change the world. He starts a countdown to release the software, but Casey and Sarah can’t access the source code. Chuck has to stop Roark, so he storms the stage. He tries warning Roark about the virus, but Roark just calls security. So Chuck grabs Roark’s release button and runs.

But Chuck doesn’t get far. Drew knocks him down and returns the button to Roark. RIOS is released and Chuck is fired. Ellie and Steve watched the whole thing unfold online, and she is furious. She accuses Steve of putting Chuck up to it. Why else would he risk the job of a lifetime?

Steve apologizes when Chuck arrives home. He ruined his own life; he doesn’t want Chuck to ruin his too—especially not at his expense. He tells Chuck to fight for the job if he really wants it. Chuck looks over his Roark materials again and notices something. The intersect plans that Orion gave him line up perfectly with the Roark Instruments campus. Roark has an intersect.

Chuck rushes to Sarah and Casey. Roark is the only one who could provide Fulcrum with the supercomputer they’d need for the intersect. RIOS isn’t a virus; it’s a Trojan horse to steal information. But Chuck won’t tell them how he figured this out, so there’s nothing they can do. Chuck decides to go in himself. He goes to Castle to suit up, but Casey tries to stop him. But this is Chuck’s chance to get rid of the intersect, so he tranqs Casey (three times) and heads out.

At RI, Chuck is in the middle of breaking in when he hears his dad. He shouts with security, demanding Chuck get his job back. Security starts throwing punches and Chuck bursts out, tranq guns blazing, to save his dad. But then Fulcrum agent Vincent pops out. He’s been looking for them. Neither Chuck nor Steve are who they think they are.

Steve uses a wrist computer to hack the system and takes out Vincent. We’ve seen that before … Chuck’s dad is Orion! Steve says he had to run when he realized what the government was going to do with the intersect. He had to stay away to protect his kids. But he came back to help Chuck. It’s his fault Fulcrum is after them both.

Steve teaches Chuck how to force a flash (IMPORTANT) and they find intersect 2.0. Steve has a plan to overwrite the intersect images, deleting them from Chuck’s brain, but Roark interrupts. Roark has been looking for Orion for a long time. He needs him to make intersect 2.0 work. Steve agrees to go with him, but only if Chuck can walk away. He tells Chuck to take care of Ellie and that he was wrong—Chuck should trust his handlers. The just-arrived Sarah and Casey drag Chuck away as Steve is taken by Fulcrum. (This scene is below because it’s fantastic and that song.)

At Castle, Beckman is concerned that Fulcrum now has Orion, but Chuck is worried about, you know, his dad. They have to get to Orion/Steve before he fixes intersect 2.0; otherwise Chuck (intersect 1.0) becomes obsolete, and Fulcrum has won. Chuck and his team are the best people to do that.

Back at home, Ellie is crushed to find her dad gone again, but she’s not surprised. She apologizes to Chuck for making him track him down after all these years. But Chuck tells her not to count him out just yet.

Expression Of JoyThe Brady Bunch: Groovy! The Bradys: Ritual hugging Married…With Children: ”Oh, great.” Thirtysomething: ”Of course I’m happy for you. Really. But what about me? Why does it always have to be about you? The Flintstones: ”Yabba-dabba doo

Expression Of Rage

The Brady Bunch: ”Hmmm…” The Bradys: ”If you back away from something you really want, then you’re a quitter!” (the angriest any Brady has ever been) Married…With Children: ”Aaagh, God, take me from this miserable life!” Thirtysomething: ”I’m not angry, OK?” The Flintstones: ”Willllmaaaa!”

Typical ProblemThe Brady Bunch: Marcia and her rival both want to be the prom queen. The Bradys: Bobby gets paralyzed. Married…With Children: Al doesn’t buy his family Christmas presents. Thirtysomething: Nancy gets cancer. The Flintstones: Fred and Barney are staying out too late.

Typical SolutionThe Brady Bunch: The prom committee decides to have two queens. The Bradys: Bobby gets married. Married…With Children: They hate him. Thirtysomething: If only we knew… The Flintstones: Wilma and Betty decide to follow them.

Attitude Toward SexThe Brady Bunch: Never heard of it The Bradys: Omigod — even Cindy does it! Married…With Children: Peg: Yes. Al: No. Thirtysomething: They didn’t get all those kids by accident. The Flintstones: Prehistoric

How Spouses FightThe Brady Bunch: They don’t. The Bradys: Infrequently, but it happens Married…With Children: Tooth and nail Thirtysomething: They stop talking The Flintstones: Fred and Barney go bowling while Wilma and Betty max out their charge cards.

How Kids Get Into TroubleThe Brady Bunch: Greg takes a puff of a cigarette. The Bradys: Carol’s grandson steals her business cards and sticks them in the spokes of Bobby’s wheelchair. Married…With Children: By committing felonies Thirtysomething: Ethan plays with a forbidden toy rocket. The Flintstones: They don’t.

How They’re Punished

The Brady Bunch: ”It’s not what you did, honey — it’s that you couldn’t come to us.” The Bradys ”Next time, ask.” Married…With Children: By the authorities Thirtysomething: It blows up in his face. The Flintstones: They’re not.

What Family Does For FunThe Brady Bunch: Takes special three-part vacations to Hawaii and the Grand Canyon The Bradys: Has flashbacks Married…With Children: Exchanges insults Thirtysomething: Talks The Flintstones: Attends showings of The Monster at the Bedrock Drive-In

Unsolved MysteriesThe Brady Bunch: How exactly did Carol’s first husband and Mike’s first wife die? The Bradys: What’s with Marcia’s new face and Bobby’s blonde hair Married…With Children: What kind of hair spray does Peg use? Thirtysomething: Why did Nancy take Elliot back? What do Gary and Susanna see in each other? The Flintstones: How does Barney’s shirt stay on if he has no shoulders? Where do Fred and Wilma plug in their TV?

Worst BehaviorThe Brady Bunch: The Brady children once made Alice feel under-appreciated.

Best Reason To WatchThe Brady Bunch: This is what life should be. The Bradys: They’re all grown-ups now! Married…With Children: Terry Rakolta hates it. Thirtysomething (Tie) This is your life. This isn’t your life. The Flintstones: This is what life might have been.

Best Reason Not To WatchThe Brady Bunch: Blurred vision from rerun overdoses. The Bradys: You’re all grown-ups now. Married…With Children: She has a point. Thirtysomething: After a while, you think it’s real. The Flintstones: The Simpsons